Gambling not going away published : 14 Jan 2021 at 04:00 29 A special panel asked to oversee the crackdown on illegal gambling dens will hardly achieve anything in solving one of the country's most persistent problems. On Jan 5, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered the formation of such a panel. It goes without saying such a panel is just a time-buying tactic. The best it could do is to ease public pressure -- for the time being. The panel is seen by many as a government face-saving mechanism. Initially, the PM said the panel would "track down and punish the offenders". According to the PM, the panel will comprise officials from the Royal Thai Police (RTP), the Department of Special investigation, the Anti-Money Laundering Office, and the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission. As of yesterday, the government had still not named the panel's head.